Obituary of Gary Dean Rockwood

Gary Dean Rockwood passed away peacefully in his home on April 6, 2023.  He had been battling kidney cancer for more than eight years.  

Gary was born on February 12, 1944 to Wendall Hood Rockwood and Ivy Harbottle Dean Rockwood in Salt Lake City, Utah a few minutes before his twin brother Keith.  He graduated from Highland High School in Salt Lake City Utah. He served in the United States Army reserve starting in his senior year of high school. From 1964 to 1966, he served a two year proselyting mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Australia mission.  He graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor's of science degree in the new area of computer engineering. 

Gary married Mary Jennette Swasey on June 23, 1972 in the Salt Lake City Temple. They moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1978 where Gary worked for the Hertz Rental Car Company.  They moved to Colorado in 1987.  Gary worked for Federal Express (now FedEx), heading up their package tracking initiative.  He was the lead software designer for the SuperTracker, the first hand-held package tracking tool.  He retired in 2008.  He and Mary served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Colorado Springs, Colorado Mission in the mission office from 2015 to 2016.  
 
Gary joined the Boy Scouts of America as a youth and earned the rank of Eagle Scout.  He was an active supporter of the Boy Scouts throughout his life and served in various positions within the Boy Scouts including several years as a Scoutmaster. 
 
He was an active life-long member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in leadership and teaching positions throughout his life.  His favorite calling was that of Sunday School teacher for primary age children. 
 
Gary and Mary raised two daughters and three sons.  His love for his family has been a theme of his life.  He has always enjoyed spending time with children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.  His career was always a means to supporting his family.  He was adept at woodworking and loved spending time building presents and shared projects with his descendants.  He was also very skilled in working with stained glass.  All of his children and grandchildren have stained glass birds as gifts from him and many have worked with him on projects such as lamp-shades and stained glass nativity scenes.  

Gary is preceded in death by a baby brother; his granddaughter, Carolyn Mary Rockwood; and his parents.  

He is survived by his brothers, Jay (Aleen) of Salt Lake City, Utah, Keith (Zia) of Newport Beach, California, and Mark (Sande) of Aspen, Colorado; sister, Carol (David) Reimann of Tuson, Arizona; wife, Mary; and children, Troy (Angela) of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Heather (Brian) Dillard of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Tracy (Kurt) Griffiths of Monument, Colorado, Curtis (Sarah) of Monument, Colorado, and Alex of Loveland, Colorado. He has twenty-nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Funeral Service, 10:00AM, Friday, April 14, 2023, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 950 County Highway 105, Monument, Colorado 80132.